


Ariel Comes To Town

by Leni



Series: First Meetings [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 22:37:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11262447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: Belle's best friend announces her visit.





	Ariel Comes To Town

**Author's Note:**

> @sarashouldbestudying asked: "I've been buying the wrong underwear."

Managing to drown a childish squeal and squeezing her cell phone too hard in the effort, Belle bounced on her feet a little as she heard the news. “Really? When?”

“Next week! Eric just came and surprised me. We’ll be staying in Storybrooke for a week!”

Since she had left to join her husband on his diplomatic travels, Ariel had rarely returned to Maine. Most of their time together consisted on Whatsapp conversations peppered with Skype and the odd reunion in New York when Eric’s job brought them back to the East Coast and Belle could convince her husband they needed some downtime away from Storybrooke.

The Golds were among the few who considered a weekend in the city more relaxing than their small town. If more people’s lives were scrutinized as theirs were by their - well-meaning, sometimes - neighbors, their preference would be more popular.

“That’s amazing!” Belle said, giving up on stealth when her happy cry made several heads swivel in her direction. Privacy wouldn't hurt, she decided, making her quick way to the library office and closing the door behind her. “You have a place to stay already? Because there’s plenty of space at home…”

“No offense, Belle, but I’d rather bear with Ruby’s grandma than any chance to run into your husband before he’s had his coffee.”

Belle chuckled. Aaron actually favored tea, just like her, but she understood Ariel’s point. At least her friend had left open the possibility of meeting the two of them ‘after coffee’, which was an improvement over her attitude when Belle had first started dating the dreaded Mr. Gold. “All right, all right. But say you’ll come for dinner at least?”

“And miss finally seeing your mini-me run around among that sea of priceless antiques and drive Gold to hysterics? With the prospect of a second set of pitter-patter in the near future? Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

“Ariel!” Belle laughed.

Perhaps not the best time to point out that, while pictured, Gideon did look like his mother, the boy’s attitude mirrored his father down to the gleam in his eye when he crafted a deal into his favor. She could already imagine Ariel’s look when she saw it for herself.

In the end she allowed her friend the joke, especially since it was her own fault after sending her that video of Gideon’s first steps. Aaron had been nearly in tears over their boy’s progress rather than the porcelain vase that had wobbled when Gideon grabbed onto the pedestal that supported it, but the thirty-second video could be interpreted either way.

“Oh, you know we will be nice to your lo-ver-” she popped each syllable as she had since she had teased Belle over her secretive outings, before the identity of her date had blown up into unrelenting gossip “-and last time he even smiled at me. Fatherhood sits well on him.”

“He’s the best,” Belle agreed.

“All right, do not get mushy on me, French, or I’ll start on what Eric did for my birthday.” As a warning, it came three weeks too late. Belle had already gotten the detailed step-by-step recount at six in the morning the day after Ariel’s birthday (Ariel had never paid attention to timezones, and it was hopeless to expect her to wait until a reasonable hour in Maine when she had important news to share). “And now this! Oh, Belle. How can I possibly love that man even more than I already did?”

Belle smiled. From experience, she knew it was possible. “It just happens.”

“Right. We are the lucky ones. And talking about getting lucky -” mischief sprang in her voice “-you know what us being in the same town for the first time this year means, right?”

“Ariel…”

“Undies renewal!”

Denying a friend didn’t come easily for Belle, but she tried to be firm. “Ariel, no.”

Her friend snickered. “Belle, darling Belle… You know you want to.”

“I said no.”

“You’ve been saying no since we were thirteen,” Ariel reminded her.

Belle pouted. She always meant it, too. Her decision never stood strong against Ariel’s questioning—

“You don’t trust my good taste and excellent eye?”

“…no.”

“Have you ever actually felt uncomfortable in one of my choices?”

“…no.”

“Don’t have the money?”

Belle had her own salary. On top of that, Aaron would probably give him a credit card and be thankful that for once she’d spend close to what he wanted to give her.

“Yeah. That’s right. I’m talking to Mrs. Moneypants. So what’s the hangup? Did Gold not get hot seeing you in that pastel blue bikini set we got last time?”

“Ariel!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” A snigger. “Then it’s no problem if we do it again!”

“We could use our very brief, very rare time together in something more productive.”

Ariel sighed. It was the sigh that signaled books needed to be closed and Belle dragged outside for a movie or at least a hamburger. Belle was resilient to those sighs when there was actual reading involved, but in most other cases, Ariel had always gotten her way. “Belle. You sweet angel. You fountain of patience and goodness…”

Belle rolled her eyes, mouthing along with the rest of the little speech. Ariel had perfected it since the first time a teacher had advised her to stop being so scattered and follow Belle’s example.

“…you perfect child, model student, and example to us all. You can change the world and save us all. But….?”

The dramatic pause extended over long seconds.

Aaron often remarked on her stubbornness. Ariel had her beat by a mile. Resigned, Belle said, “But I’ve been buying the wrong underwear.”

"Exactly! I love you, Belle, but I wouldn’t trust you not to head straight for the most garish ensemble in a store. Probably in the wrong size, too.”

It wasn’t a crime to like bright colors. But since, twelve years ago, Ariel had pointed out that she looked like a girl of seven, Belle usually gave in to her friend’s offer to act as her shopping consultant. “Ariel,” Belle tried one last time. “I’m a mom.”

A beat of silence.

“Belle Gold,” Ariel started. It was serious. Ariel only used her married name when she needed to make an important point. “If you tell me that motherhood banned you from decent lingerie, I’m… I’m…. I’m doing something drastic, and it will probably embarrass the two of us!”

Belle sighed. It wasn’t even a threat. It was just what happened when Ariel got stubborn. Belle could imagine Ariel bringing up the subject in the middle of dinner… Aaron would either flee the scene or argue that Belle’s choices were her own (which was proof of how well he knew her, but also a useless argument against her childhood friend.) Belle would be hot red from head to toes, and Emma would never let her live it down….

It was the thought of Emma’s knowing smirk that decided her.

“Fine. We’ll make time.”

“Perfect!” Ariel gushed. “Oh. and Belle? Invite Henry’s mama along, will you? I’ve been dying to meet her, and what better place to know a girl than on a shopping excursion!”

Belle lost precious seconds as she imagined the two of them together. They would get along. Until Ariel found something where her help could be offered (and in Ariel’s mind, she was always of help), and Emma denied her.

Unstoppable force, meet unbreakable object.

At least Gold had his reputation to protect him from the worst of Ariel’s friendly overtures.

“I’m not sure…”

“Oh, don’t worry about the boys. Even if Gold can’t handle a toddler and a baby for an afternoon, I can send Eric to help. It will be good practice.”

Belle thought of Eric’s reaction to being offered as babysitter. His easygoing attitude would probably just have him shrug and ask what was the kids’ bedtime.

“I don’t know Emma’s schedule,” Belle temporized. “If she gets a job, she might not be available.”

“Aw.” Then Ariel perked up. “No worries, we’ll figure something out!”

Belle smiled. Her friend bounced back from any difficulty with an energy she had once tried to copy (and remade into a denial she had snapped from almost too late to save her relationship with Aaron) and now only admired from afar. “You meet Emma, then decide, okay?”

“Sounds fair,” Ariel said. “I can’t believe I don’t have to wait until October to see you! Oh, we’ll have so much fun. Be ready, French.”

Belle laughed. “I will, Ariel.”

The phone call tapered into the usual subjects, and ten minutes later Belle clicked the end button with a smile on her face. The smile remained even when her other conversations were related to books checked out or returned. Life as Mrs. Gold didn’t make her many friends in Storybrooke, but she wouldn’t change one thing even if it brought her closer to Ariel or Mulan.

“Good news, sweetheart?” Aaron asked when she returned home, threading an arm around her after he’d lowered himself onto the seat at her side.

Belle nodded. “Ariel is visiting.”

He gave a slight smile. “At least I won’t have to run for the hills this time. I think she actually smiled at me last time - and meant it.”

Belle tried to slap his arm, but he caught her hand and pressed a kiss onto her palm.

“It wasn’t that bad,” she murmured, leaning closer to touch her forehead to his.

Aaron chuckled. “You never heard the worst.”

“What wasn’t that bad?” Emma piped in, an expression on her face that said she wasn’t up to seeing them cuddle and whisper in the living room again. She often complained that she hadn’t skipped on the childhood trauma of finding her parents making love, just to suffer through watching her and Gold now. “Who is this Ariel?”

“My best friend,” Belle said; at the same time, Aaron heaved a sigh, “my future executioner, according to her.”

“Not without good reason,” Belle protested.

They stared at each other.

Emma looked between them, then started giggling. “Never a dull day!”

 

The End  
20/06/17

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love! :) *points to comment box*


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